The St. Lawrence River in the Heart of the Boreal Winter

The capital of "La Belle Province" sits at the confluence of the St Charles River and the Gulf of St Lawrence in south-east Canada. Founded in the 17th century, the city still has an encircling wall, a historic civil engineering work and the only one of its kind remaining in North America. You will love the postcard-perfect stone houses of Old Quebec, the historic district listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shopping is a pleasure in pedestrian streets such as Petit-Champlain Street, or you can relax over a spruce beer, seasoned with pine buds. Dufferin Boardwalk, an esplanade near the emblematic Château Frontenac, is the perfect place for views of the river and old city.

Linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region inland, the Saint Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated in 1959, more than 250 years after the initial construction aiming to avoid the rapids obstructing navigation in these parts. This large engineering project, which required four years of huge work, offers a unique sailing experience.

In the glacial darkness of the Canadian winter, Gaspé stands proud like a preserved and authentic jewel at the edge of the dark waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Nature seems to be holding its breath. The captivating Mount Jacques-Cartier, the highest point of the Chic-Choc Mountains range and the South, is dressed with an immaculate coat of snow, while the frozen rivers slowly wind their way, fixing time in their icy embrace. During a snowshoe walk, fall in love with the captivating landscapes of the L’Anse-au-Griffon Valley, right in the heart of the Forillon National Park. Then, in Percé, opposite the famous eponymous Rock, dive into the natural beauty of the “magic forest”, where thousands of conifers decked out in an immaculate white cloak are like silent guardians watching over this isolated piece of land. You may also fall in love with this charming town, where the exciting history and the conviviality of the locals come together in a delightful blend.

In the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the waters are still partially frozen but the ice break-up has begun. The broken-up ice makes for a fascinating spectacle, forming shapes that seem to be dancing across the waves. You will sail in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, following in the footsteps of Jacques Cartier, who reached it during his first voyage in 1534. From the bridge, if luck is on your side, you will contemplate the seals and belugas that populate the region during this season. In the distance, the boreal forests, their peaks whitened by the last snow, offer you the idealised image of this piece of Canada. A moment of indescribable magic.

Off the Canadian coast, discover Saint Pierre Island, one of the two main islands of the Saint Pierre and Miquelon archipelago, the only French territory in North America. Endowed with a natural harbour, the island, whose name is a reference to the patron saint of fishermen, developed around the fishing industry and still has many traces of its past today. Whale hunting, cod fishing, alcohol smuggling during the Prohibition: all of these memories are still very much alive in the capital, Saint-Pierre.

Scattered through the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the Magdalen Islands offer a variety of extraordinary landscapes, between captivating drifting ice floe, tall red sandstone cliffs, sandy beaches covered with an immaculate coat and snow-covered valleys. Here, winter really is a special season, a time of contrasts and mysteries. The icy winds intertwine with the softness of the salty air, and the colourful houses, dressed in their finest attire, stand bravely in this enchanting scenery. In these distant lands, you will be plunged into Acadian culture, you will discover ancestral traditions here and will have the chance to explore the unique landscapes on hikes or snowshoe walks along the icy shores.

Spend exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.

On the edge of the Canadian landscape, between the icy waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Sept-Îles invites you on a unique journey. Surrounded by a captivating sea of ice and an immaculate boreal forest, the seven islands, eternal guardians of the coastline, seem to murmur timeless stories. In particular, you will have the privilege of meeting the Innu people, the indigenous civilisation of the Côte-Nord, during a unique moment when you will learn more about their ancestral customs and traditions. The area is famous for its winter festivities; like its emblematic Hivernants (hunters and trappers who would spend the winter), fall under the charm of its unique environment. During Nordic hikes on skis or snowshoes, you will be enchanted by its captivated landscapes.

Spend exceptional moments sailing aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s first luxury polar exploration vessel and the first PC2-class polar cruise ship capable of sailing into the very heart of the ice, on seas and oceans which the frozen conditions render inaccessible to ordinary ships. Le Commandant Charcot is fitted with oceanographic and scientific equipment selected by a committee of experts. Take advantage of the on-board lectures and opportunities for discussion with these specialists to learn more about the poles. Participate in furthering scientific research with PONANT and let us discover together what these fascinating destinations have yet to reveal to us.

Sailing on the Saguenay River is your guarantee of majestic sights in the heart of Quebec. This river, which originates in the Laurentian Highlands of Lac Saint-Jean and reaches the famous Saint-Laurent River, offers unforgettable landscapes to those who cross it. The river’s trajectory moves between cliffs that rise up over 500 metres tall (1,640 feet). Sculpted during the last ice age, the lower part of the Saguenay forms a fjord whose spectacular beauty will surprise you.

During the long winter months, in the majestic Saguenay Valley, the borough of La Baie is cloaked in an aura of mystery. Here, the striking  contrasts of its pristine lands, where nature displays its full splendour, invite you to experience a unique moment alongside the Saguenayens, a people amongst the most welcoming and hospitable in the world. During a snowshoe walk or a dog sled outing, as a passenger or a musher, take the time to observe immaculate nature bordered by a thick ice floe, where Le Commandant Charcot will remain for several days, and you will be able to disembark. Each winter, hundreds of colourful huts set up on these frozen waters to practice traditional ice fishing. You will be initiated into these ancestral techniques and have the pleasure of tasting freshly caught rockfish.

Linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes region inland, the Saint Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated in 1959, more than 250 years after the initial construction aiming to avoid the rapids obstructing navigation in these parts. This large engineering project, which required four years of huge work, offers a unique sailing experience.

The capital of "La Belle Province" sits at the confluence of the St Charles River and the Gulf of St Lawrence in south-east Canada. Founded in the 17th century, the city still has an encircling wall, a historic civil engineering work and the only one of its kind remaining in North America. You will love the postcard-perfect stone houses of Old Quebec, the historic district listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shopping is a pleasure in pedestrian streets such as Petit-Champlain Street, or you can relax over a spruce beer, seasoned with pine buds. Dufferin Boardwalk, an esplanade near the emblematic Château Frontenac, is the perfect place for views of the river and old city.